POP ROCKS' TAKE ON TEGAN AND SARA'S "HEARTTHROB"

Tegan & Sara's seventh album Heartthrob opens with "Closer" a hook-laden pop song for the lovelorn and it's go time from there. The hooks never cease. It's a pop album for people who shamelessly love pop music. There's no ironic wink, it's unabashedly pop. Yes it may be quirky here and there because it's coming from indie rock darlings Tegan & Sara but it is full throttle pop. It's meant for mass consumption, appreciation and communal enjoyment. This isn't a let me listen on my headphones album this is let's dance pop tuneage. Featuring production by Greg Kurstin of the bird and the bee, the Canadian twin sister duo explore new territory. It's everything you want in a record and for a band, a step forward. After working with pop artists and dance artists the time spent away from the insular world of indie has helped in their evolution. Writing for Carly Rae Jepsen and contributing vocals to songs by Tiesto, Morgan Page and David Guetta has contributed to their overall sonic template. The lyrics are relatable even if they veer towards the cliche as if they were ripped out of a teenage diary.

On opening song and first single "Closer" the song comes on like a rush of euphoria. The sheer bliss of pop makes adrenaline and endorphins rush through your veins and wonder what life was like before you heard the song like the start of a new relationship or meeting a new friend. The girls have dialed down the guitars and have turned the keyboards and drum machines to eleven and it makes up for an adventurous ride through their neuroses and relationships.

 "Drove Me Wild" is a burst of teenage hormones featuring drum programming and a chorus which wouldn't sound out of place on a Katy Perry or Kelly Clarkson album. Never ones to shy away or veer away from sounding tender and vulnerable the duo wear their hearts on their sleeves on album cuts "Love They Say" and "Now I'm All Messed Up" with lyrics and hooks ripped out of the Go-Go's and Bangles playbook at turns bittersweet or anthemic.

"How Come You Don't Want Me" production is molded from great 80's prom songs like Alphaville's "Forever Young" and When In Rome's "The Promise." It's a roller rink anthem about unrequited love and the end of a relationship.

The album is an irresistible batch of ten new songs from the Canadian twin sister duo. It is Tegan and Sara at their best and most sublime, lush and forward thinking. The album bleeds pop. The album is the duo's stab at tearjerkers, ballads and crushed out anthems. The songwriting is solid and expands on the melodicism, harmonies and ear worm quality previous hits like "Walking With a Ghost" and "Back In Your Head" displayed. "Heartthrob" is a breakthrough and watershed moment for the duo. They've made the leap from Big Star to Cheap Trick size choruses without sacrificing what sets them apart from the pack.